E/2012/27 E/CN.6/2012/16 Recognizing the need to continue to raise awareness at the national, regional and international levels in order to stimulate greater efforts to reduce unacceptably high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, Recognizing also the role of the United Nations system, including its funds, programmes and agencies, in particular the leading roles of the World Health Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Bank and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, in eliminating preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and the work under the annual World Health Assembly agenda item on monitoring the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals, and welcoming the ongoing efforts of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and other United Nations entities to promote gender equality, empowerment of women, development, human rights and peace through, inter alia, the mainstreaming of a gender equality perspective in United Nations activities, Welcoming the ongoing partnerships between a variety of stakeholders at the local, national, regional and global levels aimed at addressing the multifaceted determinants of global health and the commitments and initiatives to accelerate progress on the health-related Millennium Development Goals, including those announced at the high-level event on the Millennium Development Goals held at United Nations Headquarters on 25 September 2008, and at the corresponding follow-up high-level event held on 23 September 2009, Acknowledging the decline of preventable maternal mortality in almost all regions, but noting with great concern the wide disparity among and within countries, with sub-Saharan Africa experiencing well above twice the global average level of maternal mortality, and that maternal mortality is generally highest in rural areas and in poorer and less-educated communities, including in informal urban settlements, Expressing deep concern that more than 350,000 women and adolescent girls still die every year from largely preventable complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, that adolescent girls face a higher risk of complications and death and that the average annual percentage decline in the global maternal mortality ratio still falls short of the figure of 5.5 per cent required to achieve the first target of Millennium Development Goal 5, Taking note that, as reported by the World Health Organization, 39 the causes of maternal death include severe bleeding (haemorrhage), infection, high blood pressure in pregnancy (eclampsia), unsafe abortion, obstructed labour and other direct causes, as well as other indirect causes, including malaria, undernutrition, anaemia, chronic non-communicable diseases and HIV/AIDS, Expressing concern that each year approximately 15 million to 20 million women of childbearing age worldwide, including adolescent girls, suffer from often preventable maternal morbidity, disabilities, injuries and illnesses connected with pregnancy and childbirth, including as a result of early pregnancy, early childbearing and other high-risk conditions, such as uterine prolapse, obstetric fistulas, stress incontinence, hypertension, haemorrhoids, perineal tears, urinary tract infections and severe anaemia, and that, as a result of these conditions, women suffer serious __________________ 39 14 World Health Organization, The World Health Report 2005: Make Every Mother and Child Count (Geneva, 2005). 12-27405